Process for making durable wool like artificial silk



Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PROCESS FOR MAKING DUBABLE WOOL LIKE ARTIFICIAL SILK Georges Heberlein, Wattwil, Switzerland, as-

signor to Heberlein Patent Corporation, New York; N. Y., a corporation of New York l lo Drawing. Application Ma? 1934, Serial No.72l,277. In. 24,1933

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements of artificial fibers, especially artificial silk. In accordance with a copending application of Rudolph H. Kagi, Ser. No. 658,838, filed February 2'1, 1933,

5 it is known that desirable changes in artificial fibers can be produced by supertwisting an artificial silk yarn, setting the twist therein by moistening at high temperatures, drying and thereafter untwisting the yarn. The resultis a woolly 1o material having a high luster and softness and possessing a lasting curliness. 1

In accordance with the present invention, I-

have foundthat the curliness of the resulting woolly material may be still further increased 15 and the product rendered more resistant to the action of further wet treatment such as washing, bleaching, dyeing, etc., by simple further treatment of the yarn produced by the Kagi process.

As an example of the process as I now prefer an to practice it, the following is given. It is understood that this example is illustrative and the invention is not to be construed as limited thereto.

Example zero point and brought to 50 twists per meter inthe opposite direction. The yarn so treated is in a lasting curly condition with high luster and 35 softness. I further improve this condition by loosely hanging the curly skeins of yarn in a steaming chamber where it is subjected to saturated steam for approximately hour at'approximately 3 atmospheres pressure. The pressure here mentioned is 3 atmospheres pressure above ordinary atmospheric pressure or 4 atmospheres pressure absolute. After the treatment with the steam the yarn is removed.By this treatment the steamed yarn is found to be more curly than 45 the Kagi product. In addition it resists wet treat- 4 ment such as washing bleaching and dyeing particularlyin the characteristic that this steamed yarn substantially does not shrink upon being given such treatment.

The other processes described in the Kagi ap- H plication and particularly those of the examples I there given may be carried out with a further treatment such asdescribed in the above example employing saturated steam. The duration of this final steam treatment and the pressure at which it'is employed will vary according to the characteristics of the artificial yarn treated.

Such yarns treated according to the present invention give similar characteristics to the yarn 10 prepared according to the above example.

As many apparently widely difierent embodiments ofthis invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof in its. broader aspects, it'is to be understood that the 15 invention is not limited to the preferred form herein given, and I desire to cover all modifications, forms and improvements coming within the scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by 28 Letters Patent is:-

1. A process for producing a new artificial silk ,flbrous material which comprises supertwisting an artificial silk yarn, setting the twist therein, drying the set yarn, untwisting the yarn and 5 thereafter supporting it loosely in a wet heate atmosphere. I

2. A process for producing a new artificial silk 'material which comprises supertwisting an artiyarn so twisted on bobbins, moistelilng it at a high temperature thereon, drying the 'yarn, un-

twisting the yarn whereby a soft woolly material is produced having a lasting curliness, and increasing the curliness and making the yarn substantially nonshrinkable by wetting treatments by loosely supporting the yarn in a wet steam atmosphere at about 3 atmospheres pressure for about one-half hour. 

